J. L. SHAW by J. L. Shaw

Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · Battle Creek, Mich. · Jun 3, 1902

J. L. SHAW

By J. L. Shaw

India

THE message in India is onward. Notwithstanding the many drawbacks, the Lord is blessing the efforts of those who are sowing the seed. The circulation of our paper, The Oriental Watchman, is gradually on the increase. In the last eight months, three thousand yearly subscriptions have been taken for it by our workers, and a large number of books have been sold. At the present time five thousand copies of the Oriental Watchman are printed monthly. The reception of the paper in Burma has been quite phenomenal; Brethren Meyers and Watson, who are now there, registered two hundred yearly subscriptions in ten days, and took a large number of orders for “Christ’s Object Lessons.”

Sisters Knight and Humphrey have been canvassing at Allahabad, in Central India, for “Ladies’ Guide.” To close up their work there, they have been holding a health school, which has awakened much interest in the health principles.

Sisters Whiteis and Kellogg are now working at Chandernagor, about thirty miles from Calcutta. Sister Kellogg is holding Bible readings with several English-speaking families, and a good interest is developing. We are glad to see something being done outside of Calcutta. Heretofore nearly all the work carried on outside of this place has been through our literature. As we think of the many cities scattered over this large field, we hope that the time is not far distant when the living worker shall carry the truth to these great centers.

In Calcutta the interest in the truth is growing. Although the missionaries have done much to prejudice the people against our work, yet there are honest souls seeking after light. A brother and a sister with whom we have been holding Bible readings for some time have just begun the observance of the Sabbath.

A doctor and his wife with whom my wife has been holding Bible readings, said, “Without doubt the seventh-day Sabbath is right. Why is it that people do not know it? Why don’t you put all this truth in the daily paper, so that people can read it? Go to the viceroy and leading officials, and tell them what you have told us.” We pray that this man may follow his convictions and obey God. He is a government physician, and it means resignation if he keeps the Sabbath. This is one of the great crosses with European and Eurasian people in this country; most of them are in government employ, and it means a loss of position if they keep the Sabbath. It is very different here from what it is in America. When a man loses his position at home on account of the Sabbath, there are a variety of things that he can turn to, in most cases, for a support; but not so here. The people are educated to do one thing, and when that employment is taken away, they know not what to do. Every servant of the government receives a pension after a certain length of service, and if he resigns before the allotted time, little or no pension is allowed. Naturally, every one looks forward to the time when he will become a pensioner. When the truth comes to a man in this country, it means, in most cases, if obeyed, the loss of employment and pension, thus removing not only present but future support. The man in America who accepts the truth and gives his farm in one gift, makes a sacrifice but little, if any, greater than does the man in India who accepts the truth, forfeits his position, and a pension for which he has been working perhaps twenty or twenty-five years.

A few days ago we baptized a brother who has leprosy. He had been wanting baptism for some time, but did not broach the subject to us, as he feared that no one would be willing to administer baptism to a leper; but as we sought the Lord, we felt clear that it was right to baptize him, and on Sabbath evening quite a number met at his house. Elder Owen spoke a few words on the subject of baptism, and then this brother told us his experience—how he had led a wild, reckless life until stricken with leprosy. Shortly after that, he heard the truth, and gave his heart to God. Since that time he has suffered much, but his testimony is that, having found the Saviour, these years of suffering have been the happiest of his life. The expression of this brother’s love for Christ found a response in the hearts of all present, and we left the house after baptism, thanking God for the truth and its power to change the heart.